Dr. Deepak Kothari

Although nose bleeding is quite common during the cold months, they can occur in the summer months too. This is because, during the summer heat, your nose may tend to get excessively dry. The protective layer of mucus in the nasal cavity tends to dry up during the summer months, thus resulting in nose bleeding. The hot summers can also lead to allergies, which in result can cause it.

Although nose bleeding may be quite messy, it is nothing very serious and can be easily prevented or stopped. Here are a few home remedies that you can try if you are prone to nose bleeding during the summer season:

1. Vinegar: Vinegar is easily available in any household and effectively stops nose bleeding. Just pour in some vinegar in a cotton ball or a piece of cloth and put it into your nose for some time.
2. Ice: Ice also effectively helps with controlling nose bleeding. Just rub ice against your nose to reduce swelling in the blood vessels. The ice will also effectively numb the pain offering instant relief.
3. Foods containing vitamin C: Ensure that during the summer months you take the right amount of Vitamin C into your diet. This is because Vitamin C helps in blood clotting, and will stop nose bleeding faster. Foods that are rich in vitamin C are guavas, kale, mustard, parsley, oranges, strawberries and lemons.
4. Baking soda: Baking soda works wonders for nose bleeding. Just mix some amount of baking soda into water, and transfer the solution into a spray bottle. Spray your nose with the solution.
5. Steam: Inhaling steam is a great way to prevent nose bleeding. When you take steam, it moistens the nasal cavity and prevents it from becoming dry, thus avoiding any bleeding.
6. Right posture: Another way to quickly stop a nose bleeding is to elevate your head. Keep your head in that position until the bleeding stops and try not to bend, as it can just aggravate bleeding.
7. Whole-wheat bread: Make whole-wheat bread as part of your daily diet during summer. It is said to contain Zinc, which protects the blood vessels in the body.
8. Drink water: ?Also ensure that you keep yourself hydrated at all times during the hot summer months. Drink plenty of liquids like fruit juice and milkshake, to prevent your nose from drying out.

Rhinitis is an irritable medical condition where the mucous lining of a person's nose swells up. The term is more of a category and less of a definitive way to describe something specific. Rhinitis involves a host of other conditions that affect the mucous membranes of your nose. If you were not aware, common cold is also a kind of rhinitis. Rhinitis can cause acute touchiness in the inner lining of the nose leading to continuous discharges from one's nose. It can also lead to clogging of your nose or inflammation of the internal tissues. 

Rhinitis can be divided under two main types; allergic and non- allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis, popularly known as hay fever is caused due to contact with allergens that are usually undamaging. However, in case of non- allergic rhinitis the symptoms take after that of the allergic type but no particular causal factor can be identified.

Factors that can increase your propensity to suffer from rhinitis of any kind are:

• Pollen from flowers
• Inhaling certain substances can be harmful; smell of certain chemicals is bad too.
• Both active as well as passive smoking can be detrimental
• High levels of air pollution contributes to the risk
• Weather conditions affect your health; a windy yet humid weather can aggravate rhinitis.

Common symptoms of rhinitis can be listed as below:

1. A person suffering from this condition might catch a cold all of a sudden.
2. People, usually little children, might even face high fevers.
3. Your nose tends to be runny. After the infection subsides, chances of a thick, sticky discharge are more.
4. Exhaustion is also felt in combination with headaches and teary eyes.
5. The nature of your nasal discharge tells the doctor if you are suffering from an allergy or from a viral infection.

A few preventive measures to aid you against rhinitis:

1. Rhinitis can be communicable and in most cases it is so. Therefore a person should not share his or her utensils and other personal things such as towels or handkerchiefs with any other person.
2. One should not be in close proximity of another infected person.
3. Hands are the most common sources of infection. One must wash his or her unclean hands before touching the face.